LABOUR PUSH FOR CHANGE TO NHS WAIT
Patients’ legal right to NHS treatment within 12 weeks has been denied thousands of times since SNP signed it into law six years ago
THE legal right to NHS treatment within 12 weeks has been broken nearly 120,000 times since it was signed into law by Nicola Sturgeon, figures reveal.
The SNP Government made the promise in 2012 as part of the Patients’ Right Act.
Labour will today demand changes to the system, to make it clear how long some people really have to wait.
Patients are reminded of their legal entitlement in letters outlining their progress. Under Labour’s plans, the letters will also set out the estimated wait.
Figures show NHS Lothian topped the league for failing to hit the 12-week limit, with 25,288 people waiting too long in the last five years.
In Greater Glasgow and Clyde, 15,841 patients waited beyond 12 weeks. It was 17,702 in Grampian, 15,637 in Lanarkshire and 11,544 in Tayside.
Across Scotland, the total was 118,004 between 2012 and last year.
Scottish Labour health spokesman Anas Sarwar said: “Patients deserve transparency when it comes to treatment.
“Long and unknown waits can have a negative impact on a person’s work, family life, mental and physical wellbeing. NHS boards should communicate an accurate expected waiting time to patients.
“This upfront approach will at least provide transparency and comfort to patients rather keeping them in the dark.”
But Health Secretary Shona Robison said last night: “Since the guarantee was introduced, more than 1.5million patients received their treatment within the required timeframe.
“Over the last year, we have made an additional £50million available to NHS boards to reduce waiting times for all stages of a patient’s journey and particularly for inpatients who have been experiencing waits above the 12-week treatment time guarantee.
“This is helping to reduce waiting times.”